14 Fabulous Valentine's Day Coding Activities for Kids

We are big fans of coding for kids here at STEAMsational. Coding lessons for kids teach a variety of useful skills, like logic, critical thinking, order of operations, and of course, whatever coding language they are using. With Valentine’s Day coding, even the kids most reluctant to try coding will soon learn that coding can be a lot of fun!

To bring kids into the world of coding, I like to make it fun, hands-on where possible, and also bring in a seasonal element. That’s why these Valentine coding activities are so much fun!

This February, we’re all about Valentine’s Day coding, both off-screen and on-screen!

14 Fantastic Valentine’s Day Coding Activities for Kids

Keep reading to view all of the Valentine coding activity ideas I’ve collected that are perfect for Valentine’s Day! You’ll also find a few traditional coding resources so your students can apply their off-screen knowledge in a real coding environment.

Keep reading to learn about the importance of coding and how to introduce coding to kids from preschool through middle school. This makes a wonderful addition to any other Valentines STEM activities you may be doing in your classroom.

Why Do Kids Need to Learn How to Code?

While coding may seem like a strange thing to teach to children as young as three, there are valuable skills that students learn when coding outside of the coding language itself.

Computational thinking helps children learn to think logically and calmly, which can be applied in a number of settings, and teach children the best way to approach a problem using a step-by-step problem-solving model.

When kids learn to code, they also learn:

Problems can have multiple solutions. Experimenting and playing with solutions to problems that may have multiple solutions
Working with others is often beneficial to discover the best solution.
Usually, it takes multiple tries before a solution is found.
How to identify errors and fix them one at a time.
How to find creative solutions to open-ended questions.
How to identify personal strengths and weaknesses.

Students who learn how to code from a young age have increased capacity to interact with and make logical connections with computers.

Teaching Resources for Valentine’s Day

Here are some fun teaching resources for Valentine’s Day that you can use in the classroom or your own home.

And if you’re looking for Valentine’s Day supplies for the classroom, my go-to store is Oriental Trading Company. Browse all of their Valentine’s Day classroom supplies or grab some of my Valentine’s Day favorites from the list below.

Valentine’s Day will be so much fun in the classroom this year!

How Computer Coding Works

Before starting any sort of Valentine’s Day coding lesson, it’s important to show kids how coding works.

We like using this peanut butter sandwich lesson as a logic example.

Basically, in this activity, you act exactly like a robot and only do exactly what the kids say.

This helps children establish a framework for how to think logically when completing coding activities.

Instruct children that programming is all about logical thinking and creating a plan before jumping in.

In coding, this is done with the use of sequences, selections, and loops, which are the three basic programming structures.

Sequences assist children in recognizing patterns. Sequences, along with selections and loops, are one of the three basic structures in programming.

In a sequence, one action leads to the next in a predetermined order or pattern. Selections and loops help keep the sequences organized and streamlined to complete the task using the most efficient method.

Keeping these principles in mind will make coding activities for kids easier.

How to Set Up a Coding Activity for Kids

There are two main ways to set up a coding activity, which will also apply to your Valentine’s Day coding activities.

With Valentine's Day coding, even the kids most reluctant to try coding will soon learn that coding can be a lot of fun!

Option 1 is to play a coding game on a tablet or computer.

Option 2 is to do screen-free coding activities, or unplugged coding activities, as they are sometimes called.

Since coding is more than just learning a coding language, keeping it off-screen helps children focus on what’s actually important about coding—the process, not the solution.

Classroom-Friendly Valentine Shirts

I love wearing fun Valentine-themed shirts in the classroom during February. Here are a few of my favorites from Amazon:

Wearing a fun shirt, decorating the classroom with red and pink decorations, and doing other fun Valentine’s Day activities will make Valentine’s Day about more than just cardboard Valentines and candy.

More Valentine Activities for the Classroom

If you need ideas for other subjects aside from Valentine’s Day coding and STEM labs, then you’ll want to check out these other fun Valentine’s Day activities for kids.

Keep scrolling to find the list my favorite screen-free coding activities for Valentine’s Day.

The Ultimate List of Valentine’s Day Coding Activities

Kids who love coding will fall in love with these Valentine’s Day coding games and activities.

Check out the ideas below and click on each button to be taken to the activity with full directions, printables, worksheets, and lesson plans for each activity.

14 Valentine's Day Coding Activities for Kids

Whether you're looking for screen-free coding activities OR computer-based coding activities we've got you covered! This list of Valentine's Day coding activities covers coding activities for kids from age 3-15!